Living in Wonju South Korea, These Many Long Years

Living in Wonju South Korea, These Many Long Years: Version 2.0!

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Scripted!

Any expat worth their salt quickly realizes the importance of coming up with scripted responses for the standard litany of questions the average Korean will ask upon first meeting you. The savvy expat quickly realizes which responses generate animosity and sore feelings, and which make people walk away feeling good about themselves and their place in the world.

Typical questions can run the gamut from "Oh, can you use chopsticks", "Do you like Korean girl?", "Do you know Kimchi? Is it too spicy for you?", and "Why aren't you married?"

While some may find many of the standard questions intrusive and rude, or indicative of a narrow world view, what they don't realize is that they are simply a pure expression of interest and concern for your overall well being.

When presented with these kinds of questions, it is always best to just stay on script, demonstrating your own pure and clear mind to your Korean hosts. This way you can develop lasting bonds of friendship and true understanding, bringing the world closer together. After all, small talk is just that, small talk.